Covid-19, community, charity and culture – the Serious Injury team look back on 2020

Serious Injury team manager Kerry Hodson reflects on the year that was, and how her team were able to face into the challenges brought by an unprecedented year, while still delivering exceptional service, working for the community and keeping morale high.

2020 has been an unprecedent year for everyone but despite this, the Serious Injury team has rolled up their sleeves and continued to deliver exceptional service to our customers from varying locations around the UK – even in different countries!

Working from home has been embraced and although there is nothing quite like a casual coffee in Starbucks with your colleagues or a Pub Lunch at the Red Kite (our local), everyone has kept spirits high and played a pivotal role in keeping the wheels turning through the turbulence facing the rest of the world.

Many a virtual quiz, social chat, raising of a glass and catch up has been held to ensure life is not all work and we are maintaining other interactions as we would in and out of the office.

Wellbeing of our colleagues is vitally important and having been on one of the virtual awards ball Serious Injury calls, I can assure you, laughter is a great medicine.

As a firm, we at Minster Law are passionate and dedicated to helping our local community and raising funds and awareness of vital projects and charities and in this surreal year the team have adapted quickly to continue his.

In April we realised just how large the impact of lockdown was going to be for our most vulnerable clients.

We have previously worked closely with the Spinal Unit Recreational Fund (SURF) at Pinderfields hospital, and lockdown brought new challenges to the unit with visitors no longer allowed during a time when patients needed support.

Our colleagues and their children quickly sent in beautiful, colourful and heart-warming drawings and pictures which we sent these to the hospital to brighten up the ward and put a smile on the staff and patients faces.

We also funded and arranged for hampers from Blacker Hall Farm Shop to be delivered to the staff and patients.

A weekly Zoom pub quiz arranged by the Serious Injury Team and members of SURF, giving inpatients on the ward and many of the SURF members who were shielding themselves the opportunity to socialise and to bring light-hearted fun.

Not letting lockdown and Covid-19 get in the way of making the biggest difference we could our Serious Injury Team also established an end-to-end challenge, travelling a total of 2,832 miles by foot or by bike, raising a whopping £1740 in the process.

The whole of Minster was also encouraged to set-up any Amazon Prime account to an Amazon Smile Service in support of SURF, meaning for every purchase an amount is donated to the fund.

A raffle held in November, with prizes donated from Minster Law employees and their partners, saw a total of £1200, which Minster matched to a donation of £2400.
The money was used to by the unit essentials which were not available on the NHS, such as bath cushions and Christmas decorations to brighten the ward.

We also supplied popcorn, Appletizer and other goodies to the spinal unit which are being used for a movie night on the ward and our Serious Injury Solicitor Joanne Poynton was fortunate enough to receive £500 for her chosen charity through the Premex advent calendar, which went to SURF.

As well as our support for SURF we also wanted to support our local community and partnered with a local Wakefield Primary School to provide funding for laptops and to holding a monthly inspirational session for the children to interact with, such as mock trial, sports persons and medical professionals.

We are proud of every single one of the team and would like to thank them for all they have done in 2020 – here’s to 2021!